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Meatballs cooked in rich tomato sauce
Course
Dinner, Italian, Meatballs
Prep Time
25
minutes
minutes
Cook Time
30
minutes
minutes
Total Time
55
minutes
minutes
Servings
4
-6
Author
Alida Ryder
Ingredients
for the meatballs
500
g
beef mince
1
small red onion
peeled
2
garlic cloves
peeled
2
large handfuls fresh herbs of your choice
I used Italian parsley, basil, thyme and oregano
2
slices
white bread
crusts removed
1/4-1/2
cup
milk
1
cup
approximately 50g pecorino, finely grated
salt & pepper to serve
for the tomato sauce
1
large red onion
finely chopped
2
garlic cloves
finely chopped
500
g
ripe tomatoes
chopped (alternatively use a can of chopped tomatoes)
1
cup
passata
tomato puree
2
tablespoons
tomato paste
1
cup
beef stock
1
bay leaf
1
fresh rosemary sprig
1
teaspoon
sugar
optional
salt & pepper to taste
to serve
bucatini
or pasta of your choice, cooked
grated Pecorino/Parmesan
fresh basil leaves
Instructions
To make the meatballs, place the beef in a bowl.
In a small food processor (or by hand), finely chop the herbs, onion and garlic.
Add the herb mixture to the beef.
In a small bowl, soak the bread in just enough milk to completely saturate the bread.
Add the soaked bread to the beef and onion mixture then add the cheese and season to taste.
Mix well and form golf-ball sized meatballs.
In a large frying pan, fry the meatballs in a splash of oil until browned all over. Set aside.
To make the sauce, fry the onion in a splash of oil in a saucepan until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds.
Add the remaining ingredients and allow to come up to a simmer.
Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes uncovered.
Place the meatballs in the tomato sauce and allow to simmer gently for another 10-15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked to your liking.
Serve with cooked pasta garnished with a good grating of Pecorino and a few fresh basil leaves.